Yeah, another post on Corona. Another drop in the ocean of literary nothingness that we find ourselves surrounded by these days. Perhaps a little different perspective though, one of a homebound motorcyclist that used to roam the highways, but is presently grounded and in the near future shall have to remain so.
The corona pandemic has brought to our doorsteps a shutdown that has been unprecedented in our lifetime. Everything is shut, malls, coffee shops, restaurants, economy and yes, even your friendly neighbourhood cigarette shop. There are people who lived their lives on instagram, with daily posts of the sun and sand, the hilltops, beautiful oceans, crazy parties and more. These insta-fluencers find themselves shutdown. 2020 has not been a good year for anybody, least of all those who depended on these outdoor vistas for their likes and livelihood. It has been a hell of a year for those who were planning on getting married, buying a house, a new car, going abroad for a vacation, hell just joining a gym as part of the guilt ridden new year resolution they thought they would adhere to for a month or two before allowing the guilt to fade and be replaced by their forever constant slovenliness that they remain in denial of. I, myself had grand plans to go on a motorcycle trip for 10 days, exploring the beautiful nation that is India. Now, I could lie and blame corona for not getting around to it this year, but truth be told, I have been putting it off since the beginning of 2019. Which brings us back to the fact that life is short, eat dessert first!
There are people who are keyboard warriors and spew venom, angst, frustration and vent against all things Chinese. And I do not blame them. But then there are those that see that this kind of situation separates the men from the boys, and it has certainly done so with regards to the Indian leadership. Our Prime Minister, a 69 year old right wing nationalist who leads our country did the single most inspiring thing any head of state could. He made a surprise visit to the top of our country, Ladakh, a place that is well known to all motorcyclists as it is on all our bucket lists. This little Union Territory is 11000 feet above sea level, and all of us know that at those altitudes changing a car tyre, or even laughing very hard is a feat that only the superhuman amongst us can achieve with ease. And yet, this 69 year old, thumbing his nose at AMS, pooh poohing the entire acclimatisation directive that forces those of us that are young, flew into Ladakh, address the Indian Armed Forces, spent 7 hours walking around, nay strutting like a lion, roaring into the microphones and putting down speeches that were akin to those made by Mel Gibson in Braveheart on the battlefield. For that, and for many other reasons, I remain in awe of this stellar gentleman. For, I know close friends and family who on reaching those altitudes had to take the aid of medication and sleep for a few days just to be able to function the next day.
So what is China upto, when they are being cornered by the civilised world for exporting this virus, for laying waste to our indigenous manufacturing industries, and still brazenly having border conflicts with all of their neighbours? Perhaps, we should ask the WHO. They seem to have a relationship that is more than that of a donor to their charity. I will not speculate on China's intent. All I know is that their intent does not serve my countries interests, and is expansionist and something that the world does not need today of all days. So, I will allow Arnab Goswami to take them on, night after night, his vocal chords blasting decibels of aggressive intent towards their actions and intentions. Maybe they will see the light and do the right thing (which ironically could be them not doing anything more).
For now though, this virus makes me think of a poem by the late great William Blake, The Tyger, and specifically one line in his poem:
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
No comments:
Post a Comment